John Cox, the president of Cape Cod Community College from 2012 until he abruptly retired in mid-March, had an unprofessional relationship with a 23-year-old female student whom he sought to mentor, according to an external investigation commissioned by the college.
The relationship was not sexual, the report found. But in his efforts to mentor the student, Cox deluged her with messages at all hours of the day, left gifts at her apartment and in her car, and used college funds to create business and networking opportunities for her and her romantic partner, according to the report on the investigation, which was conducted by an outside law firm.
While the report has not been released by the college, the Globe obtained a copy and verified it with some of the principals involved.
Kenneth Tashjy, a lawyer for Cox, said in a statement that in “light of the impact the complaint and investigation had on the College, and after 14 years of successful service, Dr. Cox determined that the best course of action to move the institution forward was to retire from his position as President.”
After exchanging messages with him for about six months, the student informed Cox in mid-2025 that she needed to “take a step back for now” to focus on her mental health and studies. Cox, according to the report, replied with a broken heart emoji, and then messaged the college’s chief wellness officer that he required a “bulletproof” beekeeping suit that could “withstand arrows at the heart.”
Despite her entreaties, Cox continued to seek out the student, which caused her emotional distress, the report found, and led to her hiding in classrooms and in hallways to avoid him on campus.
Investigators found Cox “demonstrated a gross lack of judgment,” and engaged in an “ongoing pattern of inappropriate and excessive contact” with the student, discussing topics “far outside the boundaries of a typical professional or academic relationship,” the report said. He also provided the student with “material benefits and special opportunities not afforded to other students.”
The investigation found Cox and the student exchanged 2,500 text messages, about 200 emails, and 17 handwritten letters between December 2024 and June 2025. Cox often wrote the letters in purple ink, knowing the student had purchased purple ink at a pen shop they visited together. Cox also communicated numerous times with the student’s mother, grandparents, and romantic partner, who was also a student at the college.
He provided the student with other benefits and personal favors as well, including recommending the Cape Cod Community College Educational Foundation, a separate nonprofit, give her a $4,000 scholarship, and spent more than 10 hours communicating with the student’s former employer about a worker’s compensation claim, according to the report.
Cox also enabled the student’s partner to help open and run a short-lived espresso bar at the school’s Plymouth campus “at substantial college expense,” including about $10,000 for an espresso machine and $5,000 for the partner’s services. He also helped bring beehives to the West Barnstable and Plymouth campuses, knowing beekeeping was of interest to the student. The college spent about $3,950 on startup costs for the beekeeping initiative.
Cox also visited the student in the hospital after she had asked him for recommendations on a local emergency room. Investigators found Cox entered the student’s hospital room without notifying her, which made her feel uncomfortable given that she was “in a state of partial dress and in substantial pain.”
Investigators determined Cox’s conduct toward the student was “detrimental to both her academic experience and her mental health.” Investigators found she felt “consistent pressure to respond to Cox’s communications, and to participate in the opportunities he provided” and as consequence, experienced panic attacks, insomnia, and increased anxiety.
Cox, 63, told the board on March 16 that he would retire immediately, after being on paid leave for months. Most faculty members, students, staffers, and community members were not told why Cox was on leave or why he was abruptly retiring.
Last Friday, after the Globe submitted a public records request for the findings of an investigation into Cox, board chair Tammy Glivinski-Saben released the college’s first public statement about the events leading up to Cox’s retirement. She confirmed the board worked with external investigators to conduct an “impartial and thorough investigation” after Cox was accused of potentially violating the school’s policy on affirmative action, equal opportunity, and diversity.
Glivinski-Saben said the investigation found he did not violate the policy but did engage in “inappropriate behavior.” Late Tuesday, the college said it would cost $9,525 to fulfill the Globe’s public records request.
Patrick Stone, a spokesperson for the college, told the Globe the school is “focused on implementing recommendations and ensuring strong governance practices moving forward.”
“This has been an exceptionally challenging period for our College community, and it is deeply unfortunate that administrative disruption like this can, and has, caused a negative impact on what has been an otherwise stellar year,” Stone said. “Our focus now is on supporting our students, maintaining a strong learning environment, and moving forward with new leadership.”
Before Cape Cod Community College, Cox served as vice president for finance, operations, and government relations at Harford Community College in Maryland. At Cape Cod, Cox built up the college’s aviation maintenance technology program and advocated for more funding for two-year schools.
Despite the trauma experienced by the student, investigators concluded Cox’s actions did not qualify as sexual harassment, gender-based harassment, discrimination, or retaliation. Investigators said Cox’s conduct was “based on the mentor relationship and friendship” that he sought with the student rather than on the student’s sex, gender, or protected class.
Investigators did, however, recommend the college should take further action to determine whether Cox violated other policies or laws.
The college employee whom Cox messaged about the beekeeping suit, Maura Weir, was also placed on paid administrative leave last fall after she failed to report Cox’s behavior to the college’s board or general counsel, even after the student requested she give Cox a “verbal no-contact order.” Weir first learned of the student at the end of 2024 when Cox emailed her to say the student was “destined for greatness.”
Weir helped the student draft the text message to Cox in June in which the student requested a break in communication. Neither Weir nor another administrator she confided in about the situation sought advice on whether to report Cox from the school’s general counsel or its coordinator responsible for ensuring the institution’s compliance with Title IX, the federal civil rights law that prohibits schools from discriminating based on sex. But she advised Cox to back off.
“I strongly advise you to keep away at this point,” Weir wrote to him, according to the report. “You need to remain presidential and keep this one at arms length or further.”
As a result of Weir’s “failure to comply with her reporting obligations,” the College did not become aware of the student’s concerns about Cox until October 2025, when another college employee notified the school’s Title IX coordinator of the situation.
A lawyer for Weir did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.
The student told investigators she initially valued Cox’s support and guidance but felt over time the boundaries between them “frequently blurred, leading to her discomfort,” the report said. She said she found the frequency and intensity of the contact overwhelming and tried on several occasions to limit communications or set boundaries but felt he ignored those boundaries.
In late September and early October 2025, the student disclosed the full scope of the situation to her friends, who referred her to an attorney. After that, a staff member of the wellness office Weir oversaw sought advice on the situation from the college’s Title IX office. The student then submitted a formal complaint with the college on Oct. 23.
Cox met the woman in November 2024 at a student research presentation, and then invited her to a luncheon where they discussed topics of interest to the student, including aviation and beekeeping. After the luncheon, Cox and the student started texting, emailing, talking by phone, and meeting in person. Both described the beginning of the relationship as a “mentorship” to investigators.
Based on communications Cox sent to the student and to Weir, Cox saw the student as a future college professor or even president.
“Knowing your [sic] were born . . . under the sign of Libra, ruled by Venus. . . Ptolemy would say your stars incline you towards professions or callings where balance is needed. . . . This would include school director, dean, and college president! My, my, the Leo’s going to roar about this potential,” he texted her in May 2025, referring to his own Zodiac sign.
At one point he told her that he would have moved on from the college had he not met her, and he frequently reminded her of the vast potential he saw in her.
He also took an interest in her health, and texted her romantic partner to inquire about how she was eating, drinking, and resting.
Investigators added the “undisputed evidence shows” Cox arranged for the student to have exclusive job shadowing, networking, and off-campus event opportunities, including traveling with him to Washington, D.C., for a conference, where they had hotel rooms next to each other. Cox changed their return itinerary to have an additional day in Washington alone together to attend a White House event honoring the student’s sister.
“I am available for adoption as an uncle or cousin,” he texted her after learning the White House event was just for family.
This story has been updated to reflect that the Cape Cod Community College Educational Foundation is a separate nonprofit.
Hilary Burns can be reached at hilary.burns@globe.com.